From Dave

This ‘wordy dropdown’ is written to summarise the thinking behind the leadership and training approach below. It is an approach discovered through a process of trial and error – with measurable RESULTS by way of individual maturity and also numbers as the goal. When I became a pastor the ‘shoes were on the other foot’. I was no longer a community worker in outreach. I was also blessed to be in a larger church by NZ standards, in Singapore. The need for many church small groups to care for and disciple members is heightened in larger churches. Upon not discovering a small group culture in the church at that time that I believed could generate growth / discipleship health I started reading and also visiting small group training (and house church planting courses) further afield.

The goal that undergirded my eventual approach to small group leadership came from a belief that Christian leaders are supposed to be ‘intentional disciple-makers‘. Disciples are made, not born. The goal was therefore that small group leaders be helped to deliver RESULTS by way of (a) measurable GROWTH IN INDIVIDUALS each year and (b) NUMERICAL GROWTH by way of friends who come to faith. The approach therefore needed to be clear-thinking and yet also very simple – valuing people first (knowing everyone is busy), while helping them to become INTENTIONAL in the way they led.

To achieve this, numerous dynamics needed to be within the CULTURE and VALUES of the groups to have health (which creates growth). But these values needed to applying in PRACTISE also by way of how the groups were led and managed – otherwise it was all just words. This speaks to the need for matching HABITS, that inculcate VALUES with specific SKILLS that apply the. (These things go together!) I therefore became a student of church small group practice – with the privilege of quite a few groups to practice on. Within that I was blessed to have 4 small groups that become 23. The difference was that I was fully released in that sector of the church to shape the CULTURE of those groups via their leaders. This opportunity sat alongside the concurrent opportunity of guiding other groups – with whom the same freedom did not exist – enabling comparisons. What resulted I initially labelled the ‘lounge chair model of small group leadership’ initially – because it was so slow paces in contrast to the leadership styles I learned various small group principles from.

The below videos (with ‘participant notes’)  is the ‘new leader training’ that resulted – each lesson being something I REQUIRED that each new leader learn and apply. (I note that most things ever taught to a leader are forgotten soon after – and never applied – or only briefly applied). To achieve the actual application we had to set up workable systems to ‘INSPECT’ how they were going (‘intentionally visit, see, remind and encourage), to aid application – because this was actually about ‘CULTURE’.

What is most easily missed in this training is that it is principally about VALUES AND PRINCIPLES – not merely the VERY PRACTICAL SKILLS it appears to be about at first glance. This takes some reflection to perceive – and more words to explain that I see any merits in typing here. I am therefore directly suggesting that there is ‘more than meets the eye’ in what might otherwise seem to be ‘8 cheerful and practical bits of leadership training’. This is about establishing a CULTURE of INTENTIONAL DISCIPLE-MAKING, and inclusive of the outreach dynamic.

The challenge of applying this training is therefore in the CONSISTENCY of leadership focus coming from the pastor / overseeing leader. I suspect that maybe 1 in 100 churches will actually apply this – desiring ‘a church WITH small groups’ rather than a church through which members grow and are multiplied THROUGH the small groups. For the leadership principle involved here: There is a saying, ‘we cannot expect if we do not inspect’. If we do not follow up with people, to see what they are doing and to intentionally encourage – to both establish and sustain a standard – we won’t get the results!

To this day, my experience of outreach through small groups remains the most exciting thing I have ever touched in outreach.

I would also add that, if the senior leader(s) do not really see the vision it is unlikely a ‘sub-leader’ will succeed in building this kind of culture in the small groups – or it won’t last long if they do.

There is a difference between a “church with small groups” and a “church made up of small groups that also has a Sunday service.”